Clean Autos: MINI E Berlin

You’ve surely seen them buzzing about – BMW Minis outfitted as zero-emission electric cars. They're part of a pilot project set up by BMW and the energy giant Vattenfall to bring environmentally sound cars to the city’s streets.

Berlin was one of the few lucky cities chosen to host a trial run: within the Ringbahn’s limits (the designated “Umweltzone” or “environmental zone”), up to 50 public charging stations for electric Minis have been installed, all of which are fitted for universal electric car use. The energy they supply comes from renewable sources like water and wind power – a bit of positive PR for Vattenfall that relies mainly on dirty coal to generate electricity.

The Mini E only has one flaw: the little bugger’s trunkless and its battery weighs 300kg more than average – so if speeding’s your style, or you tend to travel with more than one passenger, you might have to opt out.